One of the basic tenets to a medical weight loss plan, or any healthy lifestyle plan, is to eat more vegetables. But most of us started life with a distaste for veggies, and many have yet to grow past that dietary preference. So what do you do, when you know you need to consume more vegetables but they aren’t your favorite thing? One option is to hide them in your regular dishes.

Not only will you add more nutrition to your meals; you can cut the calories. Most veggies add fiber and substance to a meal, but without many calories. You can fill up on fewer calories while also doing something positive for your health, and you will satisfy the requirements of your medical weight loss plan. Here’s how you do it.

Shred or dice your veggies. Reducing your veggies to less noticeable parts will help you to hide them in a variety of dishes. Add diced mushrooms to burgers or shredded carrots and zucchini to baked goods. Cauliflower blends right into macaroni and cheese, and many different vegetables can be added to chili or curries. If you’re roasting potatoes, add another veggie to the pan (like onions, parsnips, turnips, or carrots).

Puree your veggies. When you puree berries and bananas for a smoothie, toss in a little kale. Add pumpkin puree to your favorite muffin recipe, or add veggie purees to soups or sauces.

Double up your veggies. Perhaps the easiest way to add more veggies to your diet is to simply double the measurements in your favorite recipes. If a casserole calls for one cup of broccoli, you toss in two cups instead.

Toss your veggies onto pizza. It would be incredibly difficult to make pizza unappetizing! Add roasted veggies to your pizza toppings, and you’ll barely realize that you’re eating a healthy dish.

Turn your veggies into noodles. Spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles (zoodles) make a great base pasta sauces, curries, stir-fry, and more.

And of course, if you want more tips on a healthy diet, give us a call! We can help you with a medical weight loss plan that not only helps you get into shape, but wards off age-related and weight-releated health conditions over time.